http://mendnigerdelta.com/current-news/current-news-rss/en-usLeadership (Abuja)Senate president David Mark yesterday handed down a terse marching order to a panel: it should commence immediate probe of an alleged Shell, ENI and federal government round-tripping deal.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-senate-probes-shell-eni-fg-round-tripping-deal/Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Daily Trust (Abuja) Daily Trust Najib Aliyu who died with his lover in their car. Kano - Decomposing remains of a man and a woman believed to be lovers were found in a car at the premises of a hospital in Kano on Monday evening, two months after a similar incident in the city.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-man-and-woman-found-dead-in-car/This Day (Lagos)Despite recent bullish activity in the bond market, led by the Federal Government bonds, experts in the financial service sector have predicted modest slowdown in the second half (H2) of 2012.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-bonds-analysts-predict-modest-slowdown-in-h2/Daily Trust (Abuja)For once I am constrained to support a public official. My shoulders have refused to go down since voodoo minister, Ita Okon Bassey, announced that Naija will be sending people to the moon. Never since Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab put us on the map of people to be feared have I carried my green passport with such pride. When I read all the nonsense that some people were saying to ridicule Professor Okon, I felt the heat that forces rulers out of their gated air-conditioned houses and tinted cars to interact with us serfs.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-why-we-need-the-moon-trip/Daily Trust (Abuja)The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission promises to float a reinsurance agency with a capital outlay of $300 million to encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the West Africa sub region.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-ecowas-plans-us300-million-reinsurance-agency/Daily Trust (Abuja)Owerri - Residents at Shell Camp (GRA) Owerri who are staff of the Federal Ministry of Industry have gone to Owerri High court to restrain Imo State government from evicting them from their residence at the end of this month.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-civil-servants-drag-governor-okorocha-to-court-over-eviction/Daily Trust (Abuja)President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the distribution of additional relief materials to about 38 communities affected by Chevron gas explosions in January.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-jonathan-orders-added-relief-for-bayelsa-gas-explosion-victims/Daily Trust (Abuja)The Federal Government has paid $1.1billion to an oil company reportedly belonging to former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Dan Etete last April, a Financial Times report said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-pays-us11-billion-to-dan-etetes-company-report/Daily Trust (Abuja)Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke yesterday faulted the House of Representative Ad hoc Committee Report that investigated the petroleum subsidy payment from 2009 to 2011.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-petroleum-minister-faults-subsidy-probe-report/Daily Trust (Abuja)The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the near collapse of the Nigerian Capital Market yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with the submission made by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zenon Oil Femi Otedola before the committee.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-capital-market-probe-reps-panel-reject-otedolas-presentation/Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)Tommo Monthe, a seasoned Cameroonian diplomat, appeared at a human rights forum alongside the U.N. high commissioner for human rights and extolled the primacy of ... development.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-development-still-comes-at-freedoms-expense/AlertNet (London)Yaounde - Cameroon is inviting foreign companies to expand lucrative palm plantations, pitting the country's need for economic development against environmentalists who foresee the loss of important forests.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-forests-pressured-as-leaders-welcome-palm-oil-investors/Daily Trust (Abuja)38 communities affected by the recent gas explosions at Chevron's Funiwa platform in Southern Ijaw and Brass local government areas of Bayelsa state have been given additional relief by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-38-bayelsa-communities-gets-relief-from-fg/Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Leadership (Abuja)The Arewa Youth Forum has urged the federal government to emulate the late President Musa Yar'Adua.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-insurgency-emulate-yaradua-northern-youths-tell-jonathan/Leadership (Abuja)In a clandestine shuffle, Shell, ENI subsidiaries in Nigeria and the federal government may have quietly been engaged in a round-tripping payment of $1.092 billion over the long-disputed oil block OPL 245, court documents from a March 2012 New York arbitration case have revealed.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-shell-eni-fg-in-us19-billion-round-tripping-transaction/Leadership (Abuja)It is no longer news that the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), has commenced the sale of properties belonging to the Nigerian Coal Corporation(NCC). But what is news is the nature of properties that are being sold, and whether due process was followed in the disposal of the properties.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-furore-over-sale-of-nigerian-coal-corporation/Daily Trust (Abuja)Professor Sir Alfred Bandele Kasunmu, SAN, was called to the Bar in 1963. He was conferred with the prestigious title of SAN in 1979 being among the third set of lawyers in Nigeria to be conferred with the title. Tomorrow, he will celebrate his birthday and in this interview he speaks on the police and other topical issues. Excerpts:http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-jonathan-cannot-contain-boko-haram-prof-kasunmu/Daily Trust (Abuja)Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, last Thursday assured that the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act will lead to creation of jobs for the people in the oil and gas industry and ancillary sectors.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-promises-more-jobs-from-local-content-act/Daily Trust (Abuja)Is China carrying the master-key that will finally unlock Africa's economic potential, or is the giant dragon a menace to Africa's development?http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-china-in-africa-partner-or-plunderer/Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Hilversum)The media are full of reports about oil theft in Nigeria, environmental activists are busy launching cool new campaigns to embarrass Shell - it can only mean one thing: it's almost time for the oil multinational's annual shareholder meeting.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-annual-ritual-you-spill-oil-no-we-dont/Radio Netherlands Worldwide (Hilversum)When media reports of oil theft in Nigeria seem to be on the increase, and environmental organisations are busy launching new cool campaigns to embarrass Shell, one thing is certain: the oil multinational's annual shareholders meeting is drawing near.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-every-year-the-same-you-spill-oil-no-we-dont/Leadership (Abuja)Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Monday raised an alarm over oil spillage in Baruwa area of Alimosho Local Government Area and other parts of the state.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fashola-raises-alarm-over-oil-spillage-in-lagos/Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)Interview of the Mayor of Isangele Council in bakassi, Cameroon, Caroline Offiom.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-bakassi-nigerians-dominate-fishing/The Moment (London)Uyo - FISHERMEN operating at the Atlantic coastline in Nigeria's Niger Delta have attributed floating weeds observed in the ocean surface as consequence of oil spills.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fishermen-groan-as-shells-dispersants-cause-damage/The Moment (London)AT a time when we are faced with series of problems bedevilling the country, comments coming from the North about breaking-up, division or secession from the country into their respective regions does not augur well for the myriad of people living under the banner of one Nigeria.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-we-must-go-on-with-one-nigeria/This Day (Lagos)Shell Petroleum Develop-ment Company (SPDC), is to double its current gas production and supply which stands at 250 million metric standard cubic feet (mmscuf) per day to about 510mmscuf per day.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-shell-moves-to-double-gas-production/This Day (Lagos)Investors in the Nigerian equities market last week waited in vain for a possible rebound of the market after two weeks of consistent decline following weak confidence on the back of negative news from the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the near collapse of the capital market.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-equities-maintain-downward-trend/This Day (Lagos)Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has lamented what he described as the dwindling budgetary allocations and releases to his ministry, saying these have been grossly inadequate.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-orubebe-laments-niger-delta-ministry-budgetary-allocation/This Day (Lagos)The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has asked communities, oil firms, government and security formations in the country to collectively move against the rising menace of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-neiti-seeks-joint-fight-against-crude-oil-theft/This Day (Lagos)Efforts to market Nigeria as an investment destination may have continued yielding results as some companies in the United States of America have expressed interest to establish tractor manufacturing companies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Kaduna State.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-us-firms-move-to-set-up-tractor-plants-in-the-country/Vanguard (Lagos) Africa Undisguised Oil rig in Nigeria. Abuja - Plans by the Federal Government to transfer $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to a new account to be known as the "Sovereign Wealth Fund," may have met a brick wall, as Governors of the 36 states of the Federation, have threatened to dump the out-of-court settlement deal.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-swf-governors-threaten-to-dump-out-of-court-settlement-deal/This Day (Lagos)The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to widen the scope of its investigations into the tenure of the immediate past Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipreye Sylva, who is currently facing a six-count criminal charge of money laundering and advance fee fraud, totalling N6.5 billion.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-efcc-to-expand-probe-on-sylva/Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000This Day (Lagos)International Institute for Humanitarian and Environmental Law has stated that the federal government lacks the capacity to tackle corruption in the country. The institute also believed that allegation of loan fraud levelled against the former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, was aimed at frustrating the fuel subsidy probe on the floor of the senate.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-cant-tackle-corruption/East African Business Week (Kampala)Dar es Salaam - The two East African partner states, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia economies' expansion have helped the East African economy grow by 5.8% in 2011 to outperform oil rich economies of West.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-ea-economies-improving/Sat, 19 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Leadership (Abuja)The three tiers of government are to share the sum of N563.089 billion from the Federation Account in the month of April, 2012.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-states-lgas-share-n563-billion-in-april/Vanguard (Lagos)The Nigerian Navy (NN), yesterday handed over an oil bunkery ship to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution , five months after its seizure.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-navy-hands-over-seized-oil-bunkering-vessel-to-efcc/Leadership (Abuja)Senator Sulaiman Adokwe represents Nasarawa South in the Senate, where he serves as Chairman of the Committee on Services. In this interview with Soni Daniel and Ruth Choji, the lawmaker explains the steps taken by the leadership to stabilise the upper legislative chamber and why it is advisable for President Goodluck Jonathan to abide by the resolutions of the National Assembly.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-national-assembly-will-always-be-on-the-peoples-side-senator-adokwe/Vanguard (Lagos)The Federal Government said it is losing about $7billion annually to crude oil theft in Nigeria, at the rate of 180,000 barrels per day.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-loses-7billion-to-crude-oil-theft/Vanguard (Lagos)Chief Cliff Mbagwu, a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is an Economist, management consultant and chairman of Simeon and Rose Associates.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-2015-jonathan-has-constitutional-right-to-run-mbagwu/Leadership (Abuja)The hope of the people of Bida Basin in Niger State to join the league of oil-producing community in Nigeria has heightened with the discovery of what looks like hydrocarbon deposits in the area. Abu Nmodu reports.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-hydrocarbon-deposits-raise-hope-in-niger-as-potential-oil-producer/Leadership (Abuja)Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has disclosed that while huge amount of dollars has been in the last one year on pipeline repairs, a record volume of crude valued at $7billion has been lost to crude theft via illegal bunkering within the same period.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-govt-reveals-annual-oil-theft-losses/Vanguard (Lagos)The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee , FAAC, met in Abuja, yesterday and shared the sum of N563.089 billion among the three tiers of government from a gross revenue of N626.178 billion that accrued to the federation coffers in the month of April.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-states-lgs-share-n563089-billion/Vanguard (Lagos)THE Presidential Amnesty Programme for militants among Niger Delta youths who laid down their weapons to give way to peace and development in the region, once again, took a centre-stage of activities at the House of Representatives on Thursday.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-amnesty-programme-only-president-jonathan-can-include-itsekiri-youths-kuku/Daily Trust (Abuja)The Federal Government has discovered about 3,400 ghost workers through the Integrated Payroll personnel Information System, IPIS, the minister of state for finance, Yerima Lawal Ngama, has said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-discovers-3000-ghost-workers-gets-n2075-billion-as-april-allocation/Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Daily Trust (Abuja)Lagos - The Federal Government says the country loses $7billion annually to crude theft in its coastal region.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-govt-loses-us7-billion-annually-to-crude-oil-theft/This Day (Lagos)As the incidence of pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft increases, stakeholders in the maritime sector of the economy have called on the Federal Government to resuscitate the surveillance and monitoring firm, Petroleum Products Monitoring Services Limited (PPMSL).http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-vandalisation-stakeholders-seek-recall-of-surveillance-firm/This Day (Lagos)The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation, has granted site approval for the construction of the proposed Lekki-Epe International Airport, Lagos State Government has said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fg-grants-site-approval-for-lekki-epe-international-airport/Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)AFRICA and the United States will continue to be trading partners, the US Assistant Secretary of African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, has said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-us-continent-for-stronger-trade-ties/Daily Trust (Abuja)Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday reassured that the Federal Government was committed to the growth of the non-oil sector to grow the economy.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-okonjo-iweala-fg-committed-to-non-oil-sector/Daily Trust (Abuja)Intermittent disruption of projects by the youths and excessive demands on contractors by communities and individuals constitute serious problem for the various on-going projects in the Niger Delta region, Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godsday Orubebe has said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-demands-by-niger-delta-natives-slow-projects-orubebe/Daily Trust (Abuja)I would like to use this medium to congratulate the newly-elected French President, Mr Francois Hollande on his victory in the May 6 run-off election.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-some-tips-for-hollande/Daily Trust (Abuja)Jos - The Area Manager of the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) in the North-East region, Mr Abdullahi Aliyu Gunda yesterday condemned what he described as the high rate of pipeline vandalization around the Jos-Gombe axis, saying the records were alarming.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-ppmc-decries-high-rate-of-vandalisation-in-north-east/Vanguard (Lagos)Abuja - Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has attributed the slow pace of work on the East-West Road, transversing the Niger Delta region, to poor releases of funds to the Ministry for the project, which he said will be completed by December 2014.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-orubebe-attributes-delay-on-east-west-road-to-paucity-of-funds/Radio France Internationale (Paris)Our focus is on Nigeria where a political storm is blowing after 19 northern state governors offered strong backing to former military leader Mohammadu Buhari, in the wake of his remarks threatening bloodshed in 2015 if the government dared rig elections.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-governors-back-former-military-leader/The Daily Observer (Banjul)He assumed office at a time when the agriculture sector, the mainstay of the Gambian economy was grappling with critical challenges that he has to deal with to move this domain to the envisaged level.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-solomon-owens-minister-of-agriculture/Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)GREEN Fuel has dominated newspaper headlines over the past few weeks, but not for reasons that are unlikely to turn anyone green with envy. In fact, it is a classical case of why Africa continues to be backward.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-green-fuel-ministers-ignorance-of-project-shocking/ // // http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/m-e-n-d-nigerdelta-news-pickup-explosion-rocks-port-harcourt/Fahamu (Oxford)Just as secessionist leader Odumegwu Ojukwu moved in 1967 to declare the independence of Biafra to protect his people from genocidal killings, the group is asking ICC to intervene on their behalf before they are completely exterminated.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-biafra-group-files-complaint-against-the-country-at-icc/Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000Leadership (Abuja)The Minister of the Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has cautioned that unless the Federal Government reviews the budgetary allocation for critical development projects in the Niger Delta Region, the completion of the East-West Road may be hampered.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-fund-may-hamper-eastwest-road-orubebe/This Day (Lagos)The naira continued its downswing against the United States dollar at the interbank for the third consecutive day as it fell by 90 kobo to close at N158.90 to a dollar, as against the N158 to a dollar it stood on Tuesday.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-naira-drops-n090-on-increased-forex-demand/Daily Trust (Abuja)Lagos - Activities in the banking sub-sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) boosted market performance yesterday after two days of downward trading.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-banking-stocks-buoy-market-activities/This Day (Lagos)In a move to achieve the 12-month emergency timeline she had set for the correction of the misalignments in gas-to-power aspirations, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Wednesday raised a team of experts to visit gas project sites across the country, beginning today.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-alison-madueke-revs-up-fgs-gas-to-power-programme/This Day (Lagos)As the World Bank rounds up its seven-year assistance worth $120 million for the sustainable development of Nigeria's solid minerals sector, stakeholders are playing Oliver Twist. They are clamouring for an extension of the project to enable a second phase to start as soon as possible.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-mining-stakeholders-implore-world-bank-on-funding/Vanguard (Lagos)Warri - KOKODIAGBENE community contractors, executing the multi-million naira cottage hospital for the oil-rich people of Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have given Chevron Nigeria Limited a 48-hour ultimatum to pay them for work done or face their wrath.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-contractors-threaten-chevron/Daily Trust (Abuja)I love Dr Okonjo-Iweala. I love the fact that she has remained committed to the Nigerian project by offering her wealth of experience. I've however been feeling uncomfortable over her actions and inactions on the lingering oil subsidy saga that I'm beginning to question her wisdom.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-is-ngozi-okonjo-iweala-stupidly-intelligent/Daily Trust (Abuja)Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, is set to host a roundtable discussion on crude oil production and the state of the oil industry in Nigeria.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-diezani-hosts-oil-summit-in-lagos/Daily Trust (Abuja)The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) is now fully equipped to provide meteorological services for all sectors of the Nigerian economy, Director-General of NIMET Dr. Anthony Anuforom has said.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-nimet-now-equipped-to-deliver-accurate-weather-services-dg/Daily Trust (Abuja)Former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has said that the economic and political uncertainties in Nigeria were responsible for the "near collapse" of the Nigerian capital market.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-soludo-political-economic-instability-caused-capital-market-crash/Daily Trust (Abuja)Lagos - Little Bimpe Akande sat precariously on the dirty blue plastic bucket. The bucket served as a makeshift toilet. She is one of 100 other kindergarten pupils at Alfred Missionary School, Apapa in Lagos.http://mendnigerdelta.com/2012/05/mend-nigerdelta-nigeria-news-lagos-proprietress-trains-kindergarten-pupils-in-one-room-viewing-centre/